Signal.



R. SPGOR.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATIO'IT FILED NOV. 2% 1908.

Patented 'Jan: 4, 1910.

2 SEEETSSHEET L I. Tl. M LIL WM W0 M L f Maw A rro/mzrs R. O. SPOORu SIGNAL.

APPLICATION TILED NOV.1908

Patnted 3811.4,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fl '0 all'zohorn it mi zy concern ?UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT cUsTnn spoon, onnasrrmes, co oBano, nssmnon or onnqinnr T ROLLIN. M. FRENCH, or msrmes-cononano.

SIGNAL.

Beit known that 1' ROBERT Srooma citizen of the United andState of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Signal, of which the follow-.

isa full, clear, and exact description.

his invention relates to jsi nals, and more (particularly .fto reversih e .81 als adapte -for use-in connectionwith rai roadtrains, and intended tobe carried by loco Inotives-orfcars, andalso for the use'o'ftrackn'iena'nd inspectors.

' I More. s ecifically, the invention relates to a signal avinga standard which can be remov'abl'ymognted upon a railroad carer the like, or -on*2ir nearth'e railroad "track, and which'j'carries a removable, reversible target 'comfprisin a pluralityof" sections together and having the oppositesides of fi'erent appearancefpret erabl fofdifierentfcolors, the sections being folda l'e.so that one sideor color'only-ap pears,while the other is completely-concealed, the section's forming win 's when.

folded, whichare arranged at angles with each other whereb' the signal is visible when viewed from all: irections. I An object of the invention is to rov d'e a simple and inexpensive" ,railro'a signal which. can be removably' mounted upon rail.-

, road locomotives, cars or the like, or on hr.

near; the railroadtrack, which can he re-- versed to present a difierent a pearance or color, which can be easily '0 eaned when soiled, and which can be I'na'nipulated rapidl .andeasily. M further object' .of the invention is to provide a device of the class described, which is simple'in'construction, andwhiehf will. last for a long period-without showing signs of usage or wear, and in whichthe tar et',' when necessary, can be easily rep'ainte .or otherwise r paired.

A'still further obect or the invention is. to provide-a rallroa si nal-which when not Folded into compact wind pressure, and, which is clearly visible when viewed from any direction.

- The invention consists inthe construction and combination of parts' to' be'more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims. ,7

Referenceisto-be had to the accompany-L Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 24, 1908. Serial No.'464,224.--

tates, and a resident of Hastings, in the con'nty'of LasAnimas the views, and in whichview-of'a modified form of'standard."

V vention from either metal or -puroseso T 1e standar by means of which the tar- Patented J ann, 1910.

in'g drawings-forming apart o f'this specification, in which similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all.

Figure l is a plan view showing the target sections extended; 'Fig. 2 is an edge view of "the extended target sections; Fig. 3 is a side-elevation showing the standard and target in an operative position; Ifi 4 is a side elevation showing the stan ard by means of which the targetis operatively mounted in position; Fig. 5 is a plan view showin the target folded in one manner to ren er visible one of'the target fsides';

Fig. 6 is a. similar view showing a target of modified form; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of arts of two adjacent target sections, showng the hinge connection; Fig.8 1s a similar viewshowing a hinge connection of mhfdifi'ed form'Fi 9 is .a ers ective view showin the target sections arranged in juxtaposition for' packing them away when not in use Fig.1!)- is a perspective view. of a modified form of target; and Fig. 11 is. a similar Before proceeding to a more detailed exp'lanation of fm'y invention, it should be clearly nnderstoodthat while the same is partieula-rly. useful in connection-with rail- ;road trains and the like, it can alsobe advantageously employed or :other signaling 01' like pnrposes,'.in which itis necessary to display targets or similar devices of special appearance.

I refer to fashion the target of myinpainted in difi'erenteolors, or otherwise ren dered of di'fierent appearance.

other is visible. By folding-thetarget in another nianner, the first side, that 1s, the

one visible in the first folding, is concealed,

wliile'the other is" renderedv1sib1e.' In this i way the target can be reversed for theusnals1 nahng;

aperas the By suitably folding the target in o'neway, .as'will appear more'cl'early hereinafter, one s :side 'of-..the target isconcealed, while the loo get is mounted in an operative position, is

road locomotives and cars and now in gen eral use.

If the signal is to be used by inspectors,

track walkers or other persons whose occupations necessita'te signals of this -kind, I prefer to employ four target sections A (see Fig. 10)' which have a common central hinge A and are not hinged successively. Signals of this'kind are usually of one color, and the target need not therefore be reversed on occasions to present a different appearance. The standard used with this kind of signal is preferably elongated and pointed at the lower end so that. it can be thrust into the ground or can be other ise suitably positioned; so that it can be easily seen at or near the track.

Referring more particularly to the drawings I provide a. target 10, comprising sections 10 fashioned from sheets of metal, paper or other suitable material, preferably elongated in form and hinged successively together by metal hinges at the longitudinal ed es of the sections. I have found'it usefu .to provide sections with openings 11' there rough to reduce the wind pressure agamst the target.

In Fig. 7 is shown a torm of hinge.

' Each target section at the longitudinal sleeves 12 of the adjacent sections,

edges has a'spaced hinge sleeve 12 adapted to be arranged between corresponding Suitable hinge pins or members 13 are located in the sleeves and securely attach the sections together, permitting them to swing freely Wlth respect to each other.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modified form of hinge connection in which each target section has at the longitudinal edges, clips 14; secured thereto by rivets 1-7 or the like and having at the edges of the sections sleeves 16. Hinge links 17 are arranged in the sleeves and foldably attach the sections.

I provide a. standard 18 having a substantially cylindrical section 19, the lower end 20 of which is tapered to fit into a sleeve 21 formed at the end of a bracket 22. The latter has the opposite end :23 of wedge shape to fit into the ordinary socket carried for the purpose by railway locomotives or cars. Ayset screw 24. serves to secure the standard removably within the sleeve 21. The standard above the section 19 is split to form four similar parts 25 which possess a certain normal resiliency and tend to spread or incline outwardly as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The standard can be fashioned from sheet metal or other similar material. If the standard 18 is constructed of wood, the parts 2.?" (Fig. 11) are slightly thickened intermediate their ends to give them the requisite strength. Atthe upper end of one of the parts 25 is an eye 26 in which is loosely carried a ring 27 adapted to he slipped over folded. The folded the free ends of the parts to hold the same hereinafter.

together, for a purpose which will appear The target sections are so folded that they are arranged. in pairs, the sections of each:

of which are in juxtaposition, the pairs be-' ing arranged at substantially right angles as is shown most clearly injFig. 5. One of the end sectionshas a-rearwardly disposed flange 28 which is adapted to engage at the free edge of the other end'section to hold the two-end sections to ether when the target is arrangement of the sec tions permits one side of each section to be concealed, leaving the other side visible, whereby the target when viewed from any one direction is of similar appearance; that isto say, is of one color or of one system of ornamentation or the like. The target when folded is inserted between the parts 25 of the standard, one of the parts being arranged between .two pairs of adjacent sections. The upper ends of the parts are then drawn together and have the ring 27 slipped overthe same to hold the target in place.

\Vhen 'it is desired to alter the aprmarance of the signal it is necessary merely to unfold the sections and reverse them, the hinge connection freely perl'nitting this to be done.

\Vhen' the targetis not in use the sections can be assembled as is shown in Fig. 9,50 that they assume a compact form, and can be put away in a place of small compass.

The form of the signal intended for use by inspectors or trackmen has the cylindrical part-1!) ot' the standard extended and sharpened so that. it can be thrust into the ground. The signal itself is hinged at the center as is shown most clearly in Fig. (3 and preferably the sections 29 are of the same color on both sides, and are connected by hinged rings 30.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7

1. A signal, having a standard a portion of which is formed into a plurality of separated parts, and a reversible target comprising wings hinged to each other and arranged. in pairs, said target being mounted upon said standard whereby one of said parts is interposed between the wings of adjacentpairs.

2. A signal having a standard a portlon of which is divided into a plurality of similar elongated members, and a target having sections hinged together and adapted to be arranged in parts radiating from a common center, and each part, being'at an angle to the adjacent part, each of said parts of the target extending outward from said c'ommon center between two adjacent members of the standard.

:5. A signal, comprising a standard consisting of four similar elongated members connected together at one end, a target havl ing a plurality of wings hinged together and adapted to be arranged in four parts, with 5 and radiating from a common.center, said target being adapted to be mounted upon said standard with the said common center surrounded by said members of the standard, and each member of the standard, extending between two adjacent parts of the target, and a' ring at the upper end of the standard adapted to encompass the members of the standard to hold the same together at -the free ends.

4:. A signal, having a target comprising a plurality of pairs of sections hinged succes' get is visible and the other side'is concealed, and a standard for removably mounting said target in position.

5. A signal, having a standard, and a reversible target removably carried by said standard, said target comprising a plurality of sections hinged successivelyto ether and having the. opposite sides of di erent ap- )earance, said sections being foldable wherey each two adjacent sections of each pair have the sides of similar appearance in uxtaposition to-conceal said similar sides, each pair of sections being arranged at an angle to the adjacent pairs.

6. A signal, having a standard a portion of which is formed into a plurality of separated parts, and a reversible target comprising a plurality of sections mounted successively to ether and having the opposite sides of di erent ap earance, said sections being foldable where y adjacent sections of each pair have the sides of similar appearance in juxtaposition to conceal said similar sides, each pair of sections being arranged at an angle to-the adjacentapairs, aaidtan get being mounted upon said standard whereby one of said parts is interposed between each two adjacent pairs of sect ons.

7. A signal, comprising a standard, a reversible target, said standard con: sting of a plurality of elongated parts secured together at one end and tending normally to spread outward, said target comprising a plurality of sections hinged sutcessively together and having the opposite sides of different appearance, said sections being' foldable whereb adjacent sections are arranged in juxtaposition with sides of similar appearancelg'onr cealed, each pair of said sections in juxtaposition forming wings arranged atari angle with the wingsformed by adjacent pairs of said sections, said target being mounted upon said standard whereby one of said arts is arranged between adjacent wings, an means "for removably securing the free ends of said parts together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

RO ERT CUSTER SPOOR. Witnesses:

SAVERIO Vaccmo, M. M. STUART. 

